Postcards from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar as it contains Buddha relics (including 8 strands of Buddha’s hair). 

Upon arrival at the temple complex, we saw a Bodhi tree, which came from the same seed as the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment — we visited a relative of this tree in Sarnath, India (at Mulagandha Kuty Vihara, where Buddha preached his first sermon).

  

The central pagoda is covered in gold plate, and shines over the city of Yangon.  We arrived in the late afternoon, and enjoyed walking clockwise around the complex, keeping the pagoda at our right shoulder. 

As we got closer to sunset, many people gathered to pray: 
 

And as the sun went down over Yangon, it looked like Shwedagon began to glow from within.






So peaceful, and so perfect.